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tv   Journal  KCSMMHZ  March 1, 2012 2:30pm-3:00pm PST

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coming to you from dw in berlin. a u.n. rights body condemns the crackdown in syria. kofi annan says he will plead with damascus to stop the assaults. >> the end of the nightmare journey for the costa allegra. >> and it is no joy as jermaine was to france in a warm-up euro 2012 -- germany loses to france
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in a warm-up your 2012. the indicted nations human rights council has condemned syria for what it is calling the brutal actions of the assad regime, but again, china and russia are not on board. >> they voted against the resolution despite reports that assad's assault on the city of homs is intensifying. >> the united nations' new envoy to syria says the killing must stop. it is a message he now wants to take to damascus. >> syrian artillery has been pounding the city of damascus for days. reports said the army has launched a ground effective to flush out the rebels. the humanitarian situation is catastrophic. kofi annan could travel to the middle east as early as friday for meetings with top arab league officials.
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he says he wants to meet as quickly as possible with president assad. the former united nations secretary general said that he will urge assad to find a peaceful solution through dialogue. >> time will tell. we will plead with him that he should engage not only with me but with the process that we are launching today. >> kofi annan called on the international community to support his efforts. meanwhile, germany's foreign minister outlined the goals that he believes the mission should achieve. >> for us, there must be an end to the violence. second, there must be humanitarian aid. he must make way for a new political beginning. >> but the syrian government has given no indication that it is ready to end its crackdown on opposition forces. it has also not yet decided whether it will allow kofi annan to bring his peace mission to
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damascus. >> eu leaders are meeting in brussels today for the latest summit after months dominated by the eurozone debt crisis. the commission said there should be less drama this time around. >> instead, the focus will be on generating growth. unions say that will be needed along with lower unemployment hit a record high, they say austerity has help. >> labor activists were out in of course, requesting european leaders put an end to austerity measures. they say cost cutting is driving up unemployment and destroying national economies. president of the european commission meanwhile entered balance austerity and growth in greece. >> the question now is -- how can we expedite some programs that can give concrete support for growth, support for creation of jobs?
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>> another thorny issue. some want to monitor greases spending on growth stimulus, but grace rejects such moves. >> we welcome the support of the european commission, the commissioners themselves and the commission services. i think this is sufficient for the hour of work to ensure the effective implementation of the program. >> papademos' comments came on the sidelines of the european meeting with strategies were outlined to generate growth in europe. >> the focus on growth is definitely not only about greece. tell us more. >> you are right.
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first of all, it is important to say that this is not a crisis meeting. this is the eu leaders' regular spring meeting, and that is an important message that leaders are trying to get across, that it is time the they started getting the eurozone out of debt and focusing on short-term aid measures and focus on something that helps the eurozone and european union as such to get back on its own two feet again. these are long-term measures. it will be assessing concrete terms the report with the european commission compared data and had the annual growth report ready for the eu leaders to ss. there, they all discussed about areas where certain countries are still performing well -- not performing well, sorry, and other areas where they have potential, and this will be sent back to the member states, and
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member states will try to implement a reform program, which could later on be decided on in the course of the year. >> as you say, a lot of plans on the table. as you mentioned at the start, this is not a crisis summit for the first time in what feels like ages. is there a feeling now that the worst phase of the crisis is actually over? >> well, it is difficult to say, of course. nobody wants to make predictions, but we have had some fairly positive news from italy. we all know that the old government of silvio berlusconi was toppled, and the new prime minister has managed to put italy back on track, and if these bonds were given out at a record low rate, so this is positive news. of course, greece continues to trouble the european union, but this will not be decided on at this summit.
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>> thanks very much. >> it was a rough ride -- the verdict from one passenger disembarking from the costa allegra this morning as it docked in the seychelles. others using strong language. >> the passengers and crew endured three days without power or sanitation. it was another blow to the operator of the cruise ship con cordia. >> this was not the relaxing cruise -- cruise the roughly 1000 people had been expecting. a fire in the ship's engine room disabled steering. a french fishing vessel needed three days to toe the giant into port. coastguard vessels also accompanied the liner as protection from pirate attacks.
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>> it was terrible, as you can imagine. hygiene conditions were deplorable. i have some photos that show the state of the toilet. we were without electricity for three days. it is difficult to live in such condition, especially in such heat. >> just a matter of inconvenience, not having enough food, not being able to rest well at night. the heat was unbearable. we had to spend most of our nights on the top deck of the ship. >> the opinion that they did not know what to do. >> more than half of the passengers have accepted a free two-week vacation in the seychelles at the expense of the cruise company. charter flights will take the other's home. >> our correspondent in the seychelles spoke with some of the passengers. he said they were relieved to be
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able to get off the ship. and many people that i could talk with would definitely have the that they made it back. some of them were really scared. some of them complained about the way that they were held by the company, by the crew, but most of all, there was a lack of fresh air, electrical power. they all complained about the hygienic situation on board. the toilets did not work. that was pretty hard for them, but all of them seem to be perkier now. they did their best to provide accommodations, so the people who want to stay can for another week or two, and the others who
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would like to go back home -- they will be provided a safe trip with charter flights back to their home country. that time now for a look at some other stories making news around the world. a roadside bomb has engine up to 15 people in the center of istanbul. the media says remote control devices were attached to a motorcycle and exploded near the offices of turkey's governing party. >> two nato soldiers have been killed in southern afghanistan. one of the gunmen was reportedly an afghan soldier. he attacked after a wave of anti-u.s. protests in afghanistan over the desecration of the koran. >> police have clashed with protesters over construction of a high-speed rail line in france and italy. an unknown number of activists
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were injured. the rail line runs through the alps hear the protesters say it is too expensive and will damage the environment. >> a series of powerful tornadoes swept through the central u.s. on wednesday, killing at least 12 people in three states. the winds tore the roofs of buildings and knocked down power lines. dozens of people were injured. >> a big deal in the auto industry. the world's biggest car maker, general motors, has announced a strategic alliance with europe's #two. the deal will help gm take a 7% stake in the french company. >> both companies have been struggling in a cutthroat european market. they hope it will make them more competitive. >> the plan is for gm's european unit to share architectures and production platform. the new alliance is also for
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efficiencies in purchasing, such as raw materials. project's overall target a savings of 1.5 billion euros every year. >> they want to improve cost position. they have a long history, so i'm pretty sure that it will be a successful venture between the two companies. >> but these are two unequal partners. in 2011, general motors regained the title of world's biggest car maker with 9 million vehicles sold. with some 3.5 million units, psa is a lot smaller. for opel the alliance opens new possibilities. analysts say it could collaborate couldpsa, -- collaborate with psa, but it
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could also mean cutbacks. it is a secret that gm is looking to close production sites in europe. >> audi said profits soared last year. business was good especially for audi in china. for 2012, the chief executive expects earnings to match last year's results. for more, i'm joined now by our correspondent, who is sticking by on the floor of the frankfurt stock exchange. we just heard the premier markets looking pretty good, but how about the automotive sector overall? >> the sector is doing very well today. shares of bmw on top of the list. it also belongs to the best performers today. indeed, when you have rich clients, you can really make money, so the premium sector is a winner. this is one of the problems of
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opel. their clients do not belong to the rich, and their clients cannot compete with models, said the money that comes from general motors has to be invested in new models, or the situation will get worse. >> how about the stock market? nice gains going on. >> the market driven by a huge cash injection from the european central bank yesterday. the stock market can profit, but mainly, the bond market because banks are using cheap money, and therefore, spain had a very successful bond auction today, and there is other very good news. the association decided a few minutes ago that greece's debt deal would not trigger an insurance payout. this is really a big relief for the market. the dax is up more than almost 1%, and your stocks 50 also gained 1%. only the euro is a bit under pressure. >> thanks, dorothy.
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after the break, we will have another attack on the health of the eurozone. european leaders in brussels. >> stay with us. we will be back in 1 minutes time. -- we will have another check on the health of the eurozone. >> join the global community by going social. find us on facebook, twitter, and youtube. key word -- mhz worldview.
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>> you decide what you want to watch. all the images. all the programs. the whole package. dw on the internet. the media center on www.dw.de. >> welcome back. as we reported earlier, it is some time again in brussels. in the past month, that usually meant a lot of frayed nerves and late night talks trying to prevent a total breakdown in the eurozone. >> today, a europe leaders said they are a little bit more confident that things are getting back under control. they point to agreements like a new fiscal package meant to stop governments getting into too much debt. >> critics are not so sure. they say the fiscal pact might only make the eurozone's problems worse. >> there is an ill wind blowing in the eu right now. the block consists of countries at very different stages of economic development. the weakest cannot finance
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themselves on the open market. so politicians have set up the european stability mechanism, a permanent rescue fund worth hundreds of billions of euros. protecting europe's weakest links from having to face skeptical investors directly. >> city walls were often used in the middle ages. you needed walls higher than they could scale the with. in this case, the financial markets have very long letters, and increasing the firepower by a few hundred billion euros is not enough. you'll need a threefold increase. the finance ministers do not have the sort of money. >> critics say some european nations have been living the high life without being able to pay their way, but once european leaders have signed the fiscal pact before them, they will have committed themselves to balanced budgets.
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analysts say that is equivalent to one size fits all. >> it is impossible to bring northern and southern europe. southern european countries have such a high level of debt, they will need decades to bring it to a manageable level. with that as high as it is, you cannot achieve much in the short term, so the fiscal that is of no consequence in the short term. >> despite the billions spent, there is still no guarantee it will not all just be money that politicians slowly poured down the drain. and athens is not the only problem on the southern tier. spain is battling to grow its economy, and portugal may soon need another bailout. italy's labor reforms could set an example, but there's still years of hardship ahead. >> spain's economic crisis began when the country's real estate
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bubble burst. that had a big impact not only on construction companies, but on a lot of home buyers who were suddenly sitting on mortgages that were worth less than their homes. >> but those still have to be paid, and people still have to eat. a lot of people are being forced to take extreme measures to make ends meet. >> it is not immediately obvious, but there is a gold rush aeon madrid's most famous plaza. dozens of men wearing bright yellow vests are out hunting for customers, calling to passers- by, cassette and i buy gold." the target spaniards who have to sell off the label jury and family heirlooms as the economic crisis drags on. -- "i buy gold." de target spain is to have a sell-off heirloom jewelry.
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>> a lot of people need the money urgently just to pay the rent or simply in order to survive. >> it normally attracts tourists to its myriad souvenir shops, but nowadays, the gold business dominates the scene. traders and jewelers readily display what their fellow citizens have been forced to exchange for hard euros, many of them to pay for their mortgages. the traders promised 28 euros a gram for gold. that is a lucrative business. they can sell it much more on a to national markets, but many have no choice. to pay off urgent debts, they have to sell at a lower rate. the number bad loans in spain is rising dramatically. -- the number of bad loans in
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spain is rising dramatically. traders are often the victim of economic crisis themselves. most were in construction. their chances of finding another long term job are now very low. the more likely to sit around at home all day. i've got three kids. there is no work anywhere at the moment. i've tried everything possible. this is the only job i could find. >> the name translates into the suns gateway, but the economic crisis hangs low and heavy like a shroud. >> and it is not just spain that is suffering. unemployment across the eurozone was at its highest level in nearly 15 years in january according to numbers released today. the currency group has been struggling to get people back to work amid the crisis and slowing economic growth. >> but germany has been defying the trend. the labor market remains strong,
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to the point where many employers are even being forced to look outside the country for skilled workers. that is especially the case in sectors that rely heavily on engineering. >> germany is famous for its technology, but for that, you need engineers. they are in very short supply. the country pose a growing shortage of skilled workers has spurred government plans to ease immigration restrictions for specialists from non-eu countries. in the future, applicants will need a recognized university degree or in some sectors, five years of work experience. a gross annual income in germany of 44,000 euros will suffice, down from 66,000. after two years, workers will be eligible for permanent residency. requirements will be even lower for professions in particular demand. engineers, scientists, and doctors will need gross earnings of just 33,000 euros to qualify
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for a visa. permanent residency will also be possible for them after two years. executive staff and highly qualified specialists and earning 40,000 euros would be eligible for immediate residency. many european countries are currently struggling to attract highly skilled professionals from abroad. germany hopes changes to its immigration rules will give it an edge. >> time for some sports. in wednesday, the international store a chance to see which teams were in former head of europe 2012. germany, widely considered to be one of the favorites, but they were given something of a lesson in football by france. that night of frustration for germany fans. france dominated from the start. putting them ahead on 21 minutes. the team down but not out.
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germany pushed forward. the closing denied. then, back from a distance. in the second half, another chance to equalize. mario gomez almost making contact with the ball. france back on the attack. they got a german defending, letting the ball home. germany said on back in the dying seconds. two-one, the final score. >> it is always the same ahead of a tournament. 2010 was no different. i do not want to make excuses, but we knew before the game that there was a lot to do. we still need to improve. >> almost 25 years without a win over france. germany's wait goes on. >> let's talk of that match.
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titus, they are going to happen with a little bit want to beat france. what went wrong for them in this match? >> a to was a poor performance, really, from all over the pitch, but particularly in defense. -- it was a poor performance, really, from all of the pitch. there's a balance between bringing on the fantastic young player and mixing them with some experienced players. there were missing through injury last night. when they play, they bring leadership and organizational qualities to the team, which make for a far better performance. >> friend said basically a disaster at the last world cup. are they now a force to be reckoned with going forward? >> it has been a story of gradual process with them. they've done a good job of healing some of the wounds in
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the camp. they lack the swagger that french fans like to see, but they are on the way. they got a tactic last night spot on. they pressed germany and exploited some of the positional play. that is exactly the kind of challenge germany will have to be used to. so it was a valuable lesson from france last night. >> let's look at germany's chances then. where does this leave them as they head toward a euro 2012? >> then it got it right last night when he said it was a very well-timed debonair. it is going to expel hubris or complacency from preparations, and that will be important for germany because they got to hit the ground running in june. they've got a really tough group, and in the netherlands last night looked fantastic. the beacon went 3-2. along with germany and spain, they are among the favorites. it will not be easy. germany has always shown they get it right when it comes to tournament, but they will not have it all the wrong way, so we are in for a very hard fought an
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exciting euro. >> definitely an interesting tournament. thanks for joining us. finally, a very unusual birth being celebrated in a zoo in china. >> two mixed lion and tiger cubs from a ligress. one of the caretakers said there are fewer than 10 known in the world. man, they are cute. >> they are going to be scary pretty soon, i think. thanks for watching. more news at the top of the hour. >> stay with us.
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